The present disclosure is directed to an inside corner construction and more particularly to an inside corner insert which excludes water. To provide the context, consider residential construction in which an inside corner of exterior walls is defined at the front porch. The inside corner is formed at the vertical intersection of two side walls. Typically, the side walls are formed with planking, and the planking, whether horizontal or vertical, is terminated at the inside corner with some sort of decorative bead, strip or other added cover thereby enabling relatively neat construction. Ordinarily, the structure is framed with wood framing, typically 2.times.4 framing members being installed for support on the backside of the planking. Wood, however, in many parts of the U.S., is susceptible to termite destruction. In all parts of the country, wood is susceptible to rotting with age. To be sure, a high quality coat of paint with appropriate caulking applied at the seams will reduce the wood rot with water and might slow termite entry. However, both risks pose an aging problem. Recently, new types of planking have been furnished which have a much greater life. Indeed, the life of the planking has been extended by many years by the construction of the planking in sheet form which is generally known as fiber-cement siding. One brand of such siding is the product known as HARDIPLANK.RTM. lap siding, a registered trademark of James Hardie & Coy. Pty. This is a very successful product which is formed as 4.times.8 sheets in selected widths of up to 12' length lap siding. Primarily, it is formed of cement and has imbedded fibers in it which provide strength. It is a product furnished with a 50 year warranty. It has the advantage of being stable in size and will not swell or shrink with water content. Because it is stable in size, the paint on the skin is therefore maintained stable and there is substantially longer life to the paint because it will not crack or craze with dimensional changes inherent in wood. This is a very great advantage. Moreover, it is not digestible to termites and therefore can be deemed as a termite proof material.
The enhanced life for the external, wood appearing planking which is formed of the fiber-cement product is especially attractive. Because it is a non-combustible product, resists moisture, is not susceptible to cracking, rotting or other deterioration, and is immune to termite invasion, the product has been substantially accepted and is able to cover most of the exterior of a building. Troubles, however, arise at wet areas where water gets behind the fiber-cement exterior, and starts a rotting problem. The inside corner of exterior walls at a porch or other inside corners about residential construction pose such a risk. Water splashed on the inside corner can readily enter at the corner and damage the wood framing members behind the corner. Then, problems arise ultimately requiring some kind of repair at the corner. Even where the repair is relatively simple, it cannot be done easily because there is an access problem. Access can be obtained by removing the fiber-cement planking on the exterior. Whether it is provided in the form of a board or large sheet, it is not easily removed and restored. Therefore, water damage repair is highly detrimental and usually expensive.
Positioning a wood strip in the corner provides only superficial help. The strip can be a simple 1.times.2 trim strip, or 2.times.4 or other wood piece(s). Those strips, while not load bearing, are still exposed and will ultimately deteriorate and require replacement. Even with the addition of caulking material on the adjacent seams (one on the left and the second on the right), and caulking with high quality resilient caulk, protection can be obtained but only for a short while. Eventually, the caulking material will dry and become brittle allowing water to penetrate the wood components of the inside corner and cause the structure to rot
The present disclosure sets forth an inside corner shield for exterior walls which can be incorporated at that location. Cosmetically, the shield is mostly not in view but, where in view, it can readily be painted or otherwise colored so that it provides the desired attractive nature. Moreover, the inside corner construction of the present disclosure excludes water entry so that the wood framing members on the backside of the walls and especially at the corner are protected from water damage. This protection is highly desirable so that the life of the frame will match the 50 year life of the fiber-cement planking on the exterior walls.
The present apparatus comprises a W-shaped strip as more precisely defined below and is formed of vinyl, preferably PVC, and is fabricated with a color pigment in it (normally white). It is inserted at the corner so that the planking on the two corner walls overlaps secure the W-shaped strip firmly in place. It can readily be nailed but the nails do not define water entry points because the nails are covered after the planking has been installed. This will protect on the interior and prevent subsequent water entry. As will be detailed, the corner strip of the present disclosure is effective in all circumstances and will especially succeed in excluding rain, and yet can be used successfully with any color finish and any type of outer surface planking on the walls defining the inside corner.